Big 12 ADs Ban Pros from Returning to School After Big Ten, SEC Rule Changes

Big 12 athletic directors agreed to ban professional athletes from returning to schools in the conference across all sports on Wednesday:

ESPN's Pete Thamel first reported the news.

Thamel previously reported that ACC athletic directors met on Wednesday with "momentum" for the ban of NFL players returning to the college football landscape.

On Tuesday, the Big Ten passed a rule banning any player who declared for the NFL draft and did not withdraw, appeared on an NFL roster or signed a contract with a pro league from returning to football teams within the conference.

The SEC also announced the implementation on a similar ban that extends to men's and women's basketball players.

Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger previously reported that the Big 12 was considering a league-wide policy that banned professional players from returning to the conference.

On Sunday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that tight end Dae'Quan Wright had committed to play for LSU for the 2026 season after he was waived by the Cleveland Browns. Former Ole Miss defensive tackle Zxavian Harris also agreed to become a member of the Tigers once he was waived by the New Orleans Saints.

Wright and Harris were among the athletes that were granted a temporary restraining order by a Louisiana court that made them eligible to return to college athletics.

Oklahoma State head coach Eric Morris previously expressed his disapproval of players participating in NFL training camps before returning to the college football landscape.

"Yeah, I think it's just one of those things, like, what are we doing right now? It's just one more thing we're putting on the list, and that, quite frankly, we don't have time to deal with and figure out what the rules are and what's going on," Morris said, per 247Sports' Scott Wright.

"At some point, I think there's got to be some integrity in this game," he added. "There has been forever, that goes along with sports in general, and playing these, and we've taught this from the youth sports up. If a guy's competing for a professional job right now in this sport, he should have left college in the back mirror at that point."

Now, professional athletes in all sports won't be permitted to return to college and suit up for Big 12 schools.